Bullous Lesions After Use of a Commercial Therapeutic Hypothermia Temperature Management System: A Possible Burn Injury?

Therapeutic hypothermia (TH) is a novel technique for improving the likelihood of survival with good neurologic outcome after cardiopulmonary arrest. While commercial temperature management systems (TMS) are intended to facilitate cooling of the body during TH, their operation also involves body exposure to heat. We describe the case of a 72-year-old female postarrest patient who underwent TH using a commercial water-circulating TMS and concurrent continuous renal replacement therapy. The patient developed bullous lesions on the thigh and torso suspected to constitute a scald burn injury from the TMS. Clinicians must be aware of this important adverse event when providing TH, especially in the setting of concurrent hemodialysis therapy.